The dream of Phil Mickelson returning to Winged Foot, the positioning of arguably his largest collapse, and profitable the 120th U.S. Open to finish the profession Grand Slam at age 50 is proving to be simply that – a pipe dream.

Mickelson couldn’t discover a fairway if his life relied on it, and shot an opening-round 9-over 79 on the A.W. Tillinghast design in Mamaroneck, New York.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s a disappointing day,” Mickelson advised a media official earlier than heading straight to the observe tee in the hunt for solutions.

Mickelson known as Winged Foot “the hardest golf course on the earth,” however on a day that mushy greens allowed 32 golfers to shoot par or higher, he appeared out of kinds. It was a harbinger of what was to come back when Mickelson arrived on the observe tee greater than three hours earlier than his afternoon tee time with what seemed to be 18 golf golf equipment in his bag, a number of drivers and two Trackman units. It was an 11th-hour prayer to discover a swing he might belief.

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Mickelson missed the golf green on his first two holes, however a pair of spectacular restoration photographs on to the inexperienced arrange a birdie-birdie begin. These could be the one circles on the scorecard for the day. It began to go south on the third gap as he carded the primary of three consecutive bogeys. Mickelson dropped one other shot to par the eighth and his frustration along with his lack of ability to regulate his golf ball turned onerous to cover. When he blocked a fairway wooden on the ninth gap onto the primary tee, he may very well be heard saying, “I’m so sick of this.” He was 2-over 37 on the flip.

It will solely worsen from there. Mickelson got here house in 42, making 5 bogeys and a double bogey at 14 when he drove right into a fairway bunker and barely advance the ball after hitting the lip. He beat only one participant within the 144-man subject.

“I drove it poorly and I putted poorly. The course couldn’t be arrange any higher. It’s a spectacular golf course, nice design, superior setup, and I assumed it was alternative to attain low in the present day. I simply performed horrible,” Mickelson stated.

Phil Mickelson through the first spherical of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Membership. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports activities)

Mickelson managed to hit simply two fairways on the day, his fewest in any of the 4 majors since he hit simply two within the closing spherical of the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

On that event, Mickelson scrambled and rescued par – together with from a rubbish can – to carry a two-stroke lead with 4 holes to go. However his tee shot at 18 sailed left and caromed off a hospitality tent and he made double bogey to lose to Australian Geoff Ogilvy by a stroke. “I’m such an fool,” he famously stated.

Final week, Mickelson struggled to search out fairways, hitting jut 12 of 56, on the Safeway Open. He knew that the punishment for his wayward drive could be a lot worse at Winged Foot, and he had work to do earlier than the championship started.

Mickelson hasn’t completed higher than T-28 on the U.S. Open since 2014 when he turned a U.S. Open title away from finishing the profession Grand Slam.

Requested if there was something he might do to get again into “a greater groove” for Friday’s second spherical, a deflated Mickelson stated, “I’m 9-over. I’ll play as onerous as I can tomorrow and benefit from the spherical.”

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